Sept. 21 (UPI) — DeAndre Hopkins, Tyler Lockett, Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson and Tyreek Hill top my Week 3 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2021.
Allen Robinson, Calvin Ridley, Robert Woods, A.J. Brown and Stefon Diggs round out my top 10 options for Week 3. D.J. Moore, Sterling Shepard, DeVonta Smith and Darnell Mooney are among my other favorite wide receivers to start this week.
Target players who have a good chance to score a touchdown and get a lot of looks from their respective quarterbacks when considering who to start at wide receiver.
Here are some of my favorite players in this week’s rankings:
TOP SHELF
DeAndre Hopkins is my No. 1 wide receiver for Week 3. The Arizona Cardinals star piled up 1,407 yards, but scored just six times last season. Hopkins started his 2021 campaign with three scores through his first two games.
This week, the Cardinals face the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars just allowed 328 passing yards and two scores to Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in Week 2. They also allowed two touchdown passes to Houston Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor in Week 1.
Look for Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray to expose this beatable secondary once again in Week 3. Hopkins should reach the end zone for a third consecutive game and receive at least 10 targets.
Seattle Seahawks veteran Tyler Lockett recorded the most fantasy points among wide receivers through the first two weeks of the season. He appears to be quarterback Russell Wilson’s favorite target.
Like Hopkins, Lockett scored three times through the first two weeks of 2021. He also eclipsed 100 receiving yards in each of his first two games. Lockett leads the NFL with five catches of at least 20 yards.
The Minnesota Vikings host the Seahawks at 4:25 p.m. EDT Sunday in Minneapolis. The Vikings allowed the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers through their first two games.
Lockett is my No. 2 option for Week 3.
SNEAKY PLAYS
Wide receiver D.J. Moore leads the Carolina Panthers with 19 targets through two weeks. He ranks 19th in fantasy points for wide receivers.
Moore pulled in his first touchdown catch of the season in Week 2 and is my No. 14 option at the position this week.
The Panthers face the Houston Texans on Thursday in Houston. I expect the Panthers to dominate this game. Moore will get several opportunities to score against this defense and should receive at least 10 targets.
He is a solid WR2 play.
Sterling Shepard leads the New York Giants with 19 targets this season. Those looks are tied with Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings and Tyreek Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs for the 13th-most in the NFL
Shepard is tied for the NFL lead with 16 catches and ranks seventh with 207 receiving yards. Look for that production to continue in Week 3, when the Giants host the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons allowed the most fantasy points in the NFL to wide receivers last season. Their five touchdowns allowed to the position this season is tied for the second-most in the league.
Look for Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to continue feeding his top target this week. Shepard is my No. 23 option and can be used as a WR2 in any league.
LONGSHOTS
Philadelphia Eagles rookie DeVonta Smith is my No. 29 wide receiver for Week 3.
Smith leads the Eagles with 15 targets through two weeks. He hauled in six catches for 71 yards and a score in Week 1, but struggled in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers.
I expect Smith to rebound this week, when the Eagles face the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys’ 483 yards allowed to wide receivers ranks second-most in the NFL. Cowboys defenders surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to the position through two weeks this season.
Look for Smith to get at least 10 targets again this week and turn those looks into six catches for at least 80 yards. He can be used as a WR3 streamer in what should be a shootout Monday in Arlington, Texas.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney is tied with teammate Allen Robinson with a team-high 15 targets this season. He leads the Bears with 11 catches.
Mooney should be picked up off waivers in your league if he isn’t on a roster. He is my No. 40 wide receiver for Week 3, when the Bears battle the Cleveland Browns.
Look for Mooney to lead the Bears in targets and yards in what I predict to be an upset Sunday in Cleveland.
Week 3 fantasy football wide receiver rankings
1. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals at JAX
2. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks at MIN
3. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers at SF
4. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings vs. SEA
5. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs vs. LAC
6. Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears at CLE
7. Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons at NYG
8. Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams vs. TB
9. A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans vs. IND
10. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills vs. WAS
11. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings vs. SEA
12. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys vs. PHI
13. Julio Jones, Tennessee Titans vs. IND
14. D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers at HOU
15. D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks at MIN
16. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams vs. TB
17. Antonio Brown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at LAR
18. Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team at BUF
19. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers at KC
20. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys vs. PHI
21. Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens at DET
22. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at LAR
23. Sterling Shepard, New York Giants vs. ATL
24. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals at PIT
25. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos vs. NYJ
26. Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans vs. CAR
27. Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers at HOU
28. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. CIN
29. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles at DAL
30. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals at PIT
31. Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. CIN
32. Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns vs. CHI
33. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers vs. GB
34. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at LAR
35. Henry Ruggs III, Las Vegas Raiders vs. MIA
36. Michael Pittman, Indianapolis Colts at TEN
37. Marvin Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. ARI
38. Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals at PIT
39. Will Fuller, Miami Dolphins at LVR
40. Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears at CLE
41. Sammy Watkins, Baltimore Ravens at DET
42. Corey Davis, New York Jets at DEN
43. Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals at JAX
44. Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals at JAX
45. Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots vs. NO
46. Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles at DAL
47. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers at SF
48. Kenny Golladay, New York Giants vs. ATL
49. Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos vs. NYJ
50. Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers at KC
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